Railway train-pipe-hose coupling.



APPLICATION FILEDl JULY 2. 19H.

1. 1.- KEANE.

RAILWAY TRAIN PIPE HOSE COUILINGl Patented De0.`18, 1917.

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RAILWAY TRAIN PIPE I'ISI: COUPLING. APPLICTIN FILED .IULY 2? IQI. 154250,89@ Patented Dec. 18,1917.

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J. KEANE. RAILWAY TRAIN PIPE HOSE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED IuLY27. I9I1.

1,250,895 f Patented '1)e@.18,191'f.v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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3,1402 nto@ and'useful Improvements in ,Railway Train; I

.. UNITED f A.Toxin E ANB, 4"01st sT, -Louis;ivrrs'soiini.-

Y g aiilliyvfnr TRAIN-Terrsfnosn,Confirme.;, i y

To all lwhom t may concemg'." it

Beit known thatiI, JoHN J.A KEANE," a citizen lof the United States, residing iat' St. Louisfin the count'yfof StfLouisiCity'and State of Missouri, 'have invented4 certain new Pipe-Hose Couplings, of Which the-followingisV a speciiication. ffy

My invention relates to hose couplings and particularly -to hose couplings of the gravity' 1 type,Y sometimes designated'the"Sewallf type for use in" connection With. the steam train pipes of railway cars.' 1 A f primary object of '.jmy invention is to provide va coupling in which 'the'y gasketsniayf be maintained in' proper position .'toform'a tight joint and 'in' w which their.positionmayV be' readily adjusted at anytime to tighten thejoint or to take up Wear. vIf'd'esired,- the gaskets may be adjusted toward fior i fromk eachother aftertlie 'couplerheadshavebeen interlock'ed. if v The steam tight joint betweenithe conp'ler heads is madeby means of eXpansible gaskets which are constructed'ofcertain graphite and rubbercompositions, Well known in theart. In the accompanying drawings, `Figure 1 is a side elevation oft'wo'mating hosejcouf plers embodying my invention and shownin an abutting positionat an angle 'ready to b e interlocked; Fig is atop plan View ofthe sainei'n 'interloc'ked relation Fig, 3 is alongitu'dinal Vertical section hthereof; Figs. 4

and 5 are vertical4 sectional fviews .on' the` lines 4 4 and `5`--5, respect1vely,fofFig 3; hig. vG is a Vfrag'mentary'detail,partly'in sec-V tion; Fig. vTis a' side-elevation o 'one'of the coupler heads; Fig'.V -8 isa top plan VvView 'ofthe same; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal 'vertical' sectional View of a gasket gV and FigJlOisa rear elevation oty the same. Y I

Thecoupling Vcomprises VtWo mating coul pler'v heads 2, 2f Whichare identical 1n con-4 struction, so that they are universalj in vuse and permitlthe railroad "cars to be coupled at either end. They maybe made'thestand-S ard size so that they'may be couplediwitli any ofA the'stan'daid coupler'heads ofthe usual standardSewall type; .Each 'jcoul i pler'head is formed 'with an arm 3,provi'ded` with an undercut lug v4 An'hi'ch engages with; an undercutl lug Gon the side of thecoinplef mental head." The mannerv4 ofjcouplinga pair of Coupler heads is Well understoorhthe f heads being brought together at an angle'inj `appunti@meamyn,1917. "seriaimianai f `of'theKL gaskets which shortensthelife and,

f Y spegne-aube 'of Letters referir., ,'Paeefedlje 118,; 1917,

the manner illustratedin :FigiA 11a`nd'1then f permitted to 'swing down 'into al horizontal positionwith'fthe fcornplemental" undercut v lugsreng'agingv The Weight iota-the heads will holdthem'ininterlocked relation, but s in'v order vthat theyimaynot'become inadve'rif ten-tly liftedvand uncoupled, Imay provide each head yWith-ilaIUishapedo'cking pini-7, swiyeledin an :aperture in' la 4lug `9*, proj ecting tromfth'e head',fea ch pin lb'eingadapted toswingoyer thelug upon the complemenif; tal-"head in 'the: mannershownlin Fig.' 2. v. 'l As previously statedgth main i purpose of myV inyentionisI to provide means forv sup-v porting 4the gaskets-in a '-manner'permitting Y of Alongitudinal V'adjustment in? the` coupler "l head either before the he'adszhave been coupledgor Vafter they 'havefbeen` -interlocked';l The gaskets are-Y usually f"held-1rigidly'l in re-' cessesn-lthemeetingf'ends :of the Sports 'of the heads,'theigaskets Avprojecting slightly:` troni theV face offt'liel liead. '1 lVhen therel is no' provision forgiadjustment, -the gaskets vare frequentlysubjected `to' )indue compression 80 when the Vcoupler-heads"are 'brought together and-swynng downwardly intofinterloeked position resulting ini a flattening 'or distortion impairs the efficiency-1 of thea gaskets when? 85 couplings lcontainingsuehfiattened :gaskets are subsequently :intericou-pled'iwithfy other Couplings: l 11.', It "has beenproposed to provide 'a' yicld` ing/seat for-the' gaskets and .xtoemploy a earn or ujedgemenber to more the gaskets into l'engagem,entf i-.a't'ter` Vthe 'heads are 1 coupled;` With such `^constructions,' however, the tendency ot the employee is to force-'pr Wedger` the "gaskets too t'ightly` together, therebyl mashin'g? f thefy meeting'- faces fot'" the Y gaskets andffrequently locking thecouplerA fifi so tightly togetherthat 'it can'befunloekedv only V'with d iti'c'ulty.y 1 Furthermore when thek gaskets are-thus forced'together by Vmeans 100 offa cam membernn Wedgegas lthe'steam" is l applied, the coefficient" l'ot'expansionit 'the gaskets is suchV that"they"arefsqneezed outy between adiacent faces oftheE .coupling heads, 'therebyv flattening and thinning =the projecting Afaces of the gaskets and'in 'so'me, cases causing' them :to buckle inwardly,v ."2

' thereby obstructing vthe steam: passage.

inner end of the gasket. vThe rear end of the sleeve member l5 is provided with means. for attachment to the train hose and is preferably formed intol a-neck portionv a ex tendingangularly from the main part and threaded interio-rlyjto .receive the threaded v union member on the end of thehose, the

walls beingthickened with a hexagonal periphery tofconstitute a nut which may be grasped in a wrench when the lcoupler member is being attached :to the fhose.

The sleeve is provided at an intermediate y part with exterior threads 23 adapted -to be engaged by the interiorly threaded V.adjusting member 25, which ishoused in a recess 26 in an enlarged portion of the coupling member. The peripheral wall surrounding the recess r26, forms a cover to incase the yadjusting member 25 so that it will beprotected fromv the `flying cinders and dust which is constantly lstirred yup inV great quantities yfromg-the' trackway by the motion of the train. VThis is quite important as the grit and dirt would otherwise `-siftinto the joints and crevices between the adjusting member 25, and thesli-ding sleeve 15, yand into the threaded .part A25. and :soon interfere with the movement yofthe'se par-ts. The periphery yof the V'rnen'i'ber'25 is preferably notched or provided with lugs l2"( which :pro-V ject through the open side "of the recess and maybe engaged 'by the fingers of the opera.- tor or. struck withafhammer orl other-tool for the purpose :ofturning the member. In

order that the member 25 may remain in anyr adjusted position, :I lfprovide one facewith radial teeth v28 `to engage a spring-pressed dog `or catch-29. Rot-ary'movement of the sleeve is prevented by a lug 30, Which 'slides 1i; a 'notch o'r recessfl in the coupler memr. Y Y The gaskets rare preferably formed of Aa main bodyportion --16 made *of av suitable composition of rubber fand graphite molded to provide a thick 'outer annular Vportier-1 and with a 'rearwardly tapering portion adapted vto lit the seat in 4the end'of the tu- -bular carrier or sleeve member 1-5. The

rear 'side maybe reinforced withy aV4 meta-l bushing 17, which-forms a partial lining throughsthe lhore ofthe gasket and al rearwardly extending grooved flange to. V71form a seat forthe retaining ring2l. rIl-he grooved flange' isfnotched. at -19 yto Iprovide for, the ends ofthe ring which Iproje'et :into thefbore or .passage so that Ithey'may fbe grasped. ito

inserted for `rremoved.

cent faces of the gaskets will, be closely yjuxa taposedlfbut not tightly .pressed together and consequently willnot be subjected to compression or undue wear or abrasion during the coupling of the parts. As soon as thesteam is ,passed through the hose, the

gaskets will'eXpand and form a tight joint.` Then the steam is turned off and thergaskets have become cold` theyrwill be slightly separated, therebyfpermitting the escapeof any watery of condensation, thus preventing any accumulation ofk water which would be liableto freeze in cold weather. It further frequently happens that the gasketsfare not accurately 4positioned .with `respect to each other inany Atwo mating coupler heads, due toxwear orzvarious other causes and when couplers of different manufacture are brought together. 1I-n--orderto adjust the position of the gaskets lin my coupler head, theiadjus'ting'member 25 is turned in one direction0 orv the other to thereby slide the sleeve l5 longitudinally and thus adjust the posi-tion of the gasket with ygreat accuracy. The parts will `be held in their adjusted position -by=thespring catch or dog v29 which rides over the radial teeth '27 in the face of thev member 25.r j r The vadvantages of 'myimprovements in iailway train hose couplers will ybe especially appreciated by railroad engineers and tra-inf men who have had experience with the pres`l ont-typesgof'couplers inrwhich great diiliculty isV encountered in .providing steam tight joints .because ofilnpr'oper `fittitng of the :gaskets andtheir liabilityto he crushed or :distorted as well as on account of the excessive wear to which .they are usually7 subjected.` 1 il have overcome these difliculties byproviding the coupler Swith means for accurately adjusting `the position of the gaskets either before the parts have been Vcoupl'edqor after they have been interlocked. The p'roper adjustment may be made instantly by any trainman or employee and withoutv the use of any special'tools. IMy c'ouplerhas very few parts and these may be strongly built so that no injury can resultV from :rough usage.` llf havefretained the advantage of -a rigidseat for the gasket and have avoidedthense' of lsprings or Aother parts; :which farelable -to ,break or fgetfronti lCO of order and also of any cam member which must bethrown from one position to another to engage or disengage the gaskets, which are not only liable to require frequent inspection and become loose and inaccurate in their adjustments, but are also liable to.

place an undue compression upon the gaskets so that they will become distorted under the expansion caused by the steam heat.

I have described in detail theparticular construction illustrated in the accompanying ydrawings for the purpose of disclosing an operative form of my invention, but it will be understood that various ychanges and modifications may be made within the scope of my claims. I have shown the adjusting member housed in a recess in the castingof the coupler head, but it will be evident that this member might be placed outside of the head, as between the neck portion and the head or upon the inner side between the m eting faces of the couplerheads if the head is cast with sufficientspace upon the inner side. Other modifications will suggest themselves to engineers without departure from the principles of the invention.

lThe gaskets in the couplers now in common use very frequently become distorted or mashed during the uncoupling operation because this is usually done while the cars are in use and while the couplers are still hot. The gaskets are therefore expanded tightly together and as the coupler heads are swung to disengage the lugs, the gaskets are unduly compressed upon the lower side and become badly distorted. As a consequence they soon become unfit for use and fail to form a steam tight joint. My invention completely overcomes this difficulty by permitting the gaskets to be separated before the parts are uncoupled. It is only necessary for the trainman to give the adjusting members 25, a slight turn, which slides the sleeves 15 outwardly and separates the gaskets. rlhe heads may then be uncoupled without any injury whateverk to the gaskets. Likewise in coupling the coupler heads, the parts may be interlocked while the gaskets are withdrawn so that they will not come into contact during the coupling and then a slight turn of the adjusting members 25, will bring the gaskets into proper position so that the joint will be tight as soon as the steam is turned on. As previously pointed out, it is better to leave the gaskets very slightly separated when coupled cold to allow for the expansion of the' gasket and thus prevent undue compression.

While I have shown, for the purpose of illustration, links 7 and lugs 9 over which they may be swung, as a means of preventing accidental uncoupling, yet asa matter heads will insure the engagement of ther complemental undercut-lugs 4 and 6 but if the cars should become uncoupled, thereby placing a strain or pull upon thev train pipe hose, the coupling heads will be slightly inclined upwardly and the lugs will be disengaged, permitting the coupler heads to become uncoupled. This is an advantage as it thereby prevents the breaking of the hose and for this reason an auxiliary looking means, such as the links 7 and lugs 9 is regarded as disadvantageous.

l. A railway train pipe hose coupling, comprising mating coupler heads, each having a longitudinal bore and a recess or pocket extending transversely thereofV and having an opening at one sidelaterally of the head, a sleeve member slidably mounted therein and provided at its forward end with a seat for a gasket, and an adjustingdevice located in said recess and operatively connected to said sleeve to move it forward and backward in said bore and projecting laterally through said opening so thatit may be Y comprising mating coupler heads, each having a longitudinal bore and a recess orv pocket extending transversely thereof, a sleeve member slid ably mounted therein and provided at its forward end with a seat for a gasket and having exterior threads, an adjusting device located in said recess and threaded interiorly to engage the threads upon said sleeve, said adjusting device being adapted to bear against the forward or rear wall of said recess, whereby the rotation of said device causes the sleeve to move longitudinally in said bore, and means for holding said adjusting device in adjusted position.

3. A railway train pipe hose coupling, comprising mating coupler heads, each having a longitudinal bore and a recess or pocket extending transversely thereof and having a portion forming a housing thereover, a sleeve member slidably mounted therein and provided at its forward end with a seat to carry a gasket, and an adjusting device located in said recess and operatively connected to said sleeve and adapted to engage the front or rear wall of said recess so that when rotated it will move said sleeve member forward or backward in said bore. Y

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

JOI-IN -J KEANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti.

Washington, D. U. 

